Exein

Market position

Exein describes itself as a global leader in Physical AI cybersecurity and, following its December 2025 raise, as the world's largest embedded runtime security provider by devices protected, and the only global player offering dedicated runtime security for Physical AI. External recognition includes Sifted 100 (2025, #22 in France and Southern Europe), Sifted 250 (2024), Sifted 50 Southern Europe (2024), and a VivaTech 2025 Innovation of the Year shortlist among the top 30 startups.

Exein places enforcement inside the device — at the operating system kernel and within firmware — rather than at the network layer, allowing detection, containment and response even without continuous connectivity. Agents are written in Rust and use eBPF for sandboxed in-kernel execution, which the company presents as delivering higher performance in memory-constrained environments than competing runtime solutions. Additional differentiators cited include reachability scoring to prioritize exploitable vulnerabilities, fine-tuned LLMs that explain incident root cause, automated compliance mapping and audit-ready evidence generation, hardware-agnostic design, and distribution through default inclusion in the Yocto embedded Linux build system and MediaTek's Genio platform.

Technology

Runtime agents written in Rust and built on eBPF run inside the operating system kernel to gain visibility into executing code and block malicious behavior before execution, across Linux-based and RTOS-based devices; a family of agents shares a common platform and policy model. Supporting technology includes binary analysis, SBOM ingestion, reachability scoring, anomaly scoring, fine-tuned LLMs for incident explanation, automated forensic reconstruction and compliance reporting, a Yocto metalayer (meta-exein), the open-source Pulsar runtime security tool and the Kepler NIST-based CVE lookup store and API.

Go-to-market

Exein goes to market through direct sales and demo requests, and through embedded ecosystem distribution and OEM/chipset partnerships — including inclusion as a default compatible layer in Yocto from release 5.0 and native integration in MediaTek's Genio platform — plus partnerships with manufacturers such as Kontron, SECO, AAEON Europe and LILIN. It also uses open-source projects (Pulsar, Kepler) and a GitHub Action for Analyzer scanning to reach developers, and sponsorship visibility via a multi-year partnership with the TGR Haas F1 Team.

Device manufacturers, OEMs, chipset vendors and operators of connected systems in manufacturing, industrial IoT, energy, healthcare, semiconductors, robotics, critical infrastructure (energy grids, railways, water treatment), automotive and aerospace. Named customers and partners include DB Systemtechnik, AAEON Europe, SECO, MediaTek, Kontron and LILIN.

Geography

Headquartered in Rome, Italy (Piazzale Flaminio 19), with additional offices in San Francisco, USA; Karlsruhe, Germany; and Taipei, Taiwan. Expansion priorities are the US and APAC markets.

History

Exein was founded in 2018 in Rome by CEO Gianni Cuozzo, motivated by the observation that over 90% of firmware was vulnerable as connected systems expanded. It open-sourced core tooling including Pulsar, an eBPF-based modular runtime security tool, and Kepler, a Rust-based NIST CVE lookup store and API. Its security metalayer became a default compatible layer from Yocto release 5.0 (Scarthgap), and its technology was natively integrated into MediaTek's Genio platform starting with the 24.1 release of MediaTek IoT Yocto. The company received Embedded World "Best in Show – Security" in 2023, Embedded Award nominations in 2023 and 2024, and the Embedded Award for Safety & Security in 2026 for its AI compliance tool. It expanded internationally with offices in Germany, Taiwan and the United States, and raised a €70 million Series C in July 2025 followed by a further €100 million in December 2025.